Cyprus day 3 - relaxed pace

Decided to take things a bit easier this morning with a stroll around the local area. There is a nice bit of scrubby habitat along the coast with bare fields, banana plantations and garden just inland.

Most of the yellow wagtails from yesterday had moved on but there was still plenty of other stuff. A fine red throated pipit near the villa followed by a quail flushed from under a bush. Although the wagtails had moved on, nightingales had certainly moved in. At least 9 birds were logged on the walk.
A flyby flock of 19 little and 2 cattle egrets were added to the list along with a female marsh harrier in/off the sea. 2 common sand on the rocky shoreline and a spur winged plover were added too.

Heading just inland produced several whinchat along a fenceline. It paid to check the whole field as it produced a stone curlew and a scrub-singing great reed warbler! Further up the road a magpie was mobbing a great spotted cuckoo giving nice scope views. Not far from the villa we picked up our first Woodchat of the trip, a smart singing male.

The rest of the morning was spent relaxing with great reed warbler and nightingale singing in the background.

Checking out Paphos Headland on a warm sunny Easter Saturday wasn't the best idea, the place was MOBBED with nowhere to park. Early morning visit I think.

Check out the Paphos sewage works area which was rather disappointing apart from one irrigated field. The whole SF is now covered so has no attraction for birds now. However, just close to the SF was a field that was being irrigated with a small wet area in the corner. When we arrived there was at least 100 yellow wagtails bathing  along with 4 wood sand, ruff and a gloas ibis. The rest of the field was stuffed with wagtails although the crop was too high to see them but in flight there mus have been at least 1000 birds. A spectacular sight. Overhead we had 2 alpine swift and a smart pair of red footed falcons.

A look around the fields at Madria produced 9 squacco heron in an irrigated field, a nice fall of northern wheatears and a single male black eared, hoopoe and 2 stone  curlew.

We didn't get Cyprus warbler on a quick stop on the way home but there were good numbers of Cyprus wheatear. Ticked off little owl and chukar for the list too.